Pdx Masu (long but quick)

Masu is the new japanese joint downtown on 13th just off stark. You climb up a dark, lantern lit staircase to the restaurant (don't know about wheelchair access?). It's got a dim, cool atmosphere with a scattering of lounge furniture where hip chicks cross their legs. Sheer curtains make things cozy. There's a backlit bar, and chairs determined to scare you but which are amazingly comfortable. I said to my friend, "these chairs are amazingly comfortable!" And she said, "yes. yes they are." but perhaps we're just not used to comfortable chairs.

i wish as much thought had gone into the food as the design of the space. everything was quite fine, but nothing really dazzled. drinks first--didn't seem very well balanced. lemongrass and tamarind were promised, but didn't show up which made me sad because i like those sorts of accents. instead, the cocktails were pretty bi-dimensional: sour vodka, sweet gin etc. almost there, not quite.

a starter of squid was nice, good texture, spicy japanese curry flavor. (um, quick credentials here: i've only spent 2 weeks in japan, and not much expertise here with japanese food otherwise, so bear this in mind.) it sat on torn red leaf lettuce, which i thought was weird, like sort of a hamburger garnish rather than a minimalist japanese accent. but that's just aesthetics, it tasted good. next, spicy crab rolls and "volcano" rolls. i really liked the spicy crab rolls--in spite of the gelid slick of maggi hot sauce they glided across--but my friend pointed out they were pretty average and not excellent. she was right, good not great. the "volcano" rolls? i don't know, i just don't know: what do you think about "hot sushi"? do i have a stick up my butt? maybe i should qualify that: "hot creamy sushi." i ate it, yessirree, and it was nice, but it was hot and creamy sushi and i feel weird about that. somebody educate me here, i'm sure there are antecedents of which i'm ignorant.

okay, entree! beef tenderloin roll thing, nicely cooked, beef flavor lacking. served in a circular round of cucumber. interesting presentation in which one uses chopsticks to jab up piles of mashed potatoes. the potatoes were good, but i feel weird about this again, jabbing at piles of mashed potatoes.

dessert was green tea ice cream (super yum! i love green tea ice cream) inserted into a pillow of what i think was mochi. i've tried long and hard to love mochi. mochi may love me, but we are not destined for one another. i used the back of my spoon to firmly (and i daresay deftly) squoosh the ice cream out of the flaccid wrapper and lapped it up happily. i felt sorry for the server who graciously cleaned up my sickening mochi leftovers.

speaking of which, very good service.

anyways, tv's starting. go to masu if you're around there, but i don't think you should expect wonders.

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